The World Is Calling...

Having been back for about two weeks, the initial delirious excitement of returning home to Chicago, IL has worn off, and I am left with general sense of restlessness.


For those who know me, you know I am incapable of staying in one place for too long(note blog name), and seeing how I have lived in Chicago for the past three years, day by day I am increasingly feeling the tug of faraway lands...

"Well, I have the key in my hands: all I have to find is the lock..."

For the last couple days, the weather in Chicago has been a bit out of sorts- rain, fog and even snow(!?)-culminating in a tremendous thunderstorm this week that sent screaming winds whistling through the floor to ceiling windows of my apartment. The weather outside seems to mirror my feelings inside because ever since returning to the states I have experienced a storm of emotions...swirling and consuming me. Feels like I have been living in a haze with the blinds drawn-both figuratively and literally- been stuck mulling over my decisions and second guessing everything. But today, the storm has stopped and the sun is out. I have downed my second third cup of piping hot coffee and maybe its the shock of sunshine, maybe its the deluge of caffeine but finally my mind is clear.

View from my balcony: The calm before the storm

I have decided to stop hiding and to face my future. What do I really have to fear? And besides, I recognize that I unwittingly made up my mind a long time ago, for from the moment I typed "European Internships" into the internet search box last year, there was no turning back for me. Without fully realizing it, I dipped my toes in the forbidden pool and had my first feel of freedom. Then while living in Sweden, I shed the final layers of my stable all-American life and waded waist deep into the tumultuous waters of the unknown-and there I still remain..waiting.

Upon returning to Chicago, I made a life-changing decision about my future, and while it was an educated decision, no gamble is without risks... So being the over thinker that I tend to be always am, I am ashamed to admit that I have been mentally cowering and racked with self-doubt ever since. It seems that I had resigned myself to holding my breath and passively waiting for my future to announce itself, but today I say-NO, this is no way to live! I need to COMMIT!

The plan:
One more month in Chicago to tie up loose ends and solidify my plans
Two months in China to start work on my business
Two weeks to travel--somewhere :)

In the fall, I will be returning to Scandinavia. I am not yet certain where exactly I will be and whether I will be in school or working- either way, I understand that my journey is one that I have to make alone. By leaving America, I will be leaving the people I love most in my life-such a scary thought-but am I somewhat placated by the knowledge that my friends will only be a skype call away(time-zone permitting).

I need to stop being afraid. So, no more wading around clumsily in the kiddie pool - Its time to Exhale, Inhale-and Dive In! 

-Ran-A Nomad Under Construction-



"Life is going on as normally as ever
But suddenly something seems to have happened
Everybody seems to be staring in one direction
People seem to be frightened, even terrified
I want everybody to understand this
I don't understand
I don't understand
There are a lot of things we don't understand, either
We need answers from you: what did you expect to find?
What's going to be our future?
It's your responsibility to do something about it
Well, I have the key in my hands: all I have to find is the lock"


I am listening to:
"Que Sera"-Wax Tailor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I18_VNjX3g

Hello America, the Land of Burgers, Tacos and Fro-yo!

Hello my friends and faithful readers(anyone out there?),

My blog has been quiet for a bit, mostly because I have been busy moving out of my apartment in Stockholm and getting re-adjusted to life back stateside. When I first arrived in Chicago, it was beautiful, the sun was streaming, the skies were blue and and it just felt so damn good to be "home".

And wouldn't you know it, the first thing I did was go out and EAT all the good ol' American food I had been craving, dreaming, and drooling about during my time in Sweden. Don't get me wrong, the food in Scandinavia was amazing, but there is something to be said about the satisfaction and pure unadulterated joy that I get from sinking my teeth into a perfectly cooked beef patty covered with melted gooey cheese(o glorious cheese!) and feeling the grease dribble down my chin...disgustingly graphic huh? Ha, you betcha!

I rounded out my food haul with a lunch stop at Nui Sushi for their half price maki lunch special and a delicious dinner consisting of an assortment of tacos plus a massive frozen margarita at Flacos Tacos! I also made room for chicken nuggets and waffle fries at Chick Filet and of course...how could I forget the delicious dairy goodness that is Forever Yogurt?!

Peanut butter frozen yogurt!...how I have missed thee!

So what if my skinny jeans are now feeling a bit snug and I've had to loosen my belt one two notches...my weeklong food binge was worth it! And besides the gym is just across the street, I plan on reactivating my account just as soon as my jet-lag and.......food coma wears off! :p

-Ran-"feed-at-your-own-risk"-Ma

I am listening to:
"Waste"- Foster the People
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbEVzpdOlVg

--Coming Soon- Last Hurrah in Scandi

---Coming Soon---

Copenhagen or Bust

Day1

Day 2

 Day3

 

Reporting from Lund, Sweden

As my eyes opened this morning, a startling thought flashed through my mind..."Heyyyy this isn't my bed, where am I?!"  

I have been traveling so much this past year-China, USA, Spain, France, Ireland, France, Honduras, Sweden, Denmark-that being confused when I wake up has become more the norm than an unusual occurance. Even now after being in Stockholm for almost three months, there are mornings where I still mistakenly think I'm back in my bedroom in Chicago. Wow, the unpredictable life of a nomad right?

But to answer my own question this morning...I'm in Lund, Sweden! I'm here to visit a fellow Chinese-American who like me, first came to Scandinavia by circumstance but without fail fell in love with this beautiful land. Lund is a quintessential university town complete with bars, coffee shops and second hand shops all catering to the 50,000 some odd students who attend Lund University each year. With Malmö just a short train ride away, we were able to attend last night's Foo Cafe event-Startup Dojo featuring a guest presentation by pioneering entrepreneur -Mikael Kretz(in a dojo outfit and all!) After the presentation, three aspiring entrepreneurs pitched their ideas to the audience and with free beer and sandwiches, I must say this event was a great success! Meeting so many ambitious entrepreneurs with different perspectives and varying backgrounds has further solidified my conviction that one day, I too, will join their ranks as a fellow entrepreneur.

As I look out the bedroom window now, the snow has stopped and dare I say I see sunshine? We're off to Copenhagen after lunch, with a visit at Copenhagen Business School out of the way, we are planning to tour the Carlsberg Brewery, Assistens Cemetery(Noels Bohr is buried there!...Im a science geek), and of course no trip to Copenhagen would be complete with the requisite stop to Freetown Christiania! With the promise of plentiful Danish hotdogs and cheap alcohol(compared to Sweden) abound-this weekend is shaping up to be a truly epic one!

-Xoxo-Ran- An Aspiring Nomadic Entrepreneur

P.S.

I have still have yet to obtain an accurate diagnosis for my mystery rash(see doctor post), but with the purchase of another tube of Midison Lipid 1%kräm(the good stuff), the itching has become an annoying but manageable condition...lets see how long it takes me to make it through this new tube, huh? 

My life in a suitcase

Beautiful train views...

Furry in Lund!

Pate, Cheese, Bread and TEA, what else could you need in life?

Real Scrotch.

Downtown Lund, Sweden. Styling!

The first(or second) oldest building in Lund :P

Malmö, Sweden

Considering the plunge..!

Mikael Kretz presenting at Startup Dojo in Malmö-fantastic dojo outfit!

Foo Cafe:
http://www.foocafe.org/
Next Startup Dogo Event-April 18th
http://www.foocafe.org/index.php/site/event/by-entrepreneurs-for-entrepreneurs

I am listening to:

Parachute Youth-"Can't Get Better Than This"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHpTNLkZVHs

And the Swedish doctor(Urologist?) says...

Soooo sometime last week I started developing a rash(ew) on my body. I assumed it was a bug bite or allergies and would resolve itself in time, but no, how I was mistaken. Ill spare you the details but this initially insignificant "rash" has now slowly but surely spread itself over a significant portion of my body, and the worst part is the itchiness-O GOD THE ITCHiness! (deceptively mild during the day, but horrifically unbearable at night)

Even though I was a pre-med student, I still have a general aversion to medication. But after being severely sleep deprived due to a week long scratch-a-thon, I finally had enough. I went to the pharmacy and was told to purchase "Mildison Lipid 1% kräm"(steroid creme). I could barely wait to get home! I greedily and generously slathered that creme on, and while it did bring me some temporary relief from the itching, it didn't lessen the rash at all. Now a mere 3 days later, I have managed to use up the ENTIRE tube of creme, and like some drug-addicted maniac I have found myself desperately trying to squeeze out the last precious drops..

Nooo..must obtain MORE of this good stuff!

I am departing for Lund on Wednesday, and I cannot in good conscience spread whatever flesh-eating-disease illness that I have to innocent bystanders so under the recommendation of my coworker, I called City Hälsocentral(City Health Center), got a nurse on the phone and promptly found myself scheduled for an afternoon appointment that day.

Now this is where the story really gets interesting-I arrive at my doctor's appointment, and was told immediately to strip down to my panties(wtf) by a male doctor(wtf). This particular doctor turned out to be a Urologist..uh why was a doctor specializing in male genital examining me?! But desperate times call for desperate measures, so I begrudgingly complied but I kept my bra on for some semblance of modesty…

Twenty minutes and an all too very through(ew) visual check later, the doctor informs me that he cannot confirm what I have but he was willing to write me prescriptions for an assortment of conditions. WHAT? No skin scrapings? no microscope? no tests? The doctor explains that they do not have the facilities to run any kind of diagnostic tests. To add insult to injury the doctor demanded an all cash payment of 770SEK even though the nurse had quoted me 350SEK on the phone(I had repeatedly emphasized to her I was American and she had reassured me it was the same price was for everyone-LIES). As I was storming out of the room the doctor piqued a last cursory remark, "I am also going to add in a prescription for antihistamines, because you appear very stressed. This will lower the adrenaline in your system and maybe stop your rash." Really?! I paid 120 USD to be told Im stressed out?!

By the time everything was done(and paid for), I was too tired and angry to fill the prescriptions. So now as I huddle alone in my Stockholm apartment, I am 770 SEK poorer, unmedicated, out of my sanity-saving steroid creme, still itchy, still rash-covered and…more stressed than ever..

Sigh, my friends, I could easily get lost in a sea of self-pity and berate myself for coming to Sweden in the first place…but I think I'm going to instead knock back a couple cold ones and just laugh at the absurdity of my situation, because come on, what is life without ridiculous days like today?

Just stress?

-Ran-Your resident "Ebola Monkey" Nomad

PS. After I obtain another and hopefully more potent anti-itch creme, I will do a followup post exploring the Swedish Healthcare system. Is a doctor experience like mine-short, perfunctory, expensive-the norm? Or was I just an unlucky expat who picked the wrong doctor at the wrong clinic?


City Hälsocentral  (go at your own risk!)
http://www.cityhalsocentral.se/

So what is the lesson here?

Do not go to City Hälsocentral! But if you must go, make sure you 100% confirm the price beforehand and also ask what type of doctor you will be seeing! Last but not least, understand that your hard earned money will only be buying 20 minutes worth of the doctors time-Good luck!

**UPDATE**-http://anomadinheels.blogspot.com/2013/06/mystery-illness-solved.html